Vice President Sara Duterte (SCREENGRAB FROM HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VIDEO)
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte in a video message on Wednesday said she does not mind having the Office of the Vice President (OVP) totally defunded, as she sees it as part of an alleged coordinated attack against her.
“Narinig din namin na mayroong defunding, i-defund daw ang Office of the Vice President Budget, narinig din namin na posibleng piso lang ang ibigay na budget sa Office of the Vice President. Handa kami. Handa kami, handa ako, sa Office of the Vice President na magtrabaho kahit walang budget,” said Duterte in the video.
(We also heard that there is defunding, the Office of the Vice President’s Budget will be defunded, we also heard that it is possible they’ll only give the Office of the Vice President a budget of only P1. We are ready. I am ready in the Office of the Vice President to work even without a budget.)
“Maliit lang ‘yung operations namin kaya kayang-kaya namin na magtrahabo kahit walang budget. Alam naman namin na kaparte ‘yan ng pag-atake. Kaya kami, tutuloy-tuloy lang din kami sa kailangan namin gawin para sa bayan,” she added.
(Our operations are not large, so we can afford to work even without a budget. We know that’s part of the attack. So we will continue to do what we need to do for the people.)
While there have been no formal proposals for cutting down the OVP’s budget to P1, several lawmakers said they are considering reducing the OVP’s proposed funding and transferring it instead to social services after Duterte skipped the deliberations on the OVP’s proposed budget for 2025 on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Duterte called on the public not to let politics affect them, reminding them that it is not unusual for the Vice President to be politically attacked.
“Kung makikita natin sa kasaysayan, lagi talagang inaatake ang Vice President dahil siya ‘yung tinitingnan ng mga tao na baka magiging sunod na presidente. So, lahat ng mga gustong tumakbong presidente ay uunahin nila atakihin talaga ang Vice President. Kaya ‘wag sila magpadala sa ingay ng paninira at pulitika,” she said.
(Historically, the vice president is always attacked because they are the one people look at who might become the next president. So, all those who want to run for president will attack the vice president first. So don’t give in to the noise of defamation and politics.)
She also urged the public to carefully examine the budget for 2023, 2024, and 2025 further implying that it was manipulated.
Duterte previously alleged that the government budget is merely controlled by Speaker Martin Romualdez and House committee on appropriations chairperson Rep. Zaldy Co, and that both lawmakers manipulate it for their own benefit.